Means for converting oil operated railway marker lamps to battery operated railway marker lamps



Dec. 12, 1950 c, LOVE 2,534,042

MEANS FOR CONVERTING OIL OPERATED RAILWAY MARKER LAMPS T0 BATTERY OPERATED RAILWAY MARKER LAMP Filed June 1, 1948 (Z/FFOED E- 4 0 V5,

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 MEANS FOR CONVERTING OIL OPERATED RAILWAY MARKER LAMPS TO BATTERY OPERATED RAILWAY MARK-ER LAMPS Clifford R. Love, Tulsa, Okla.

Application June 1, 1948, Serial N0. 30,282

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to the electrification of standard railroad oil marker lamps.

One object of my invention is to provide an electrical attachment to replace the oil lamp in railway marker lights.

Another object of my invention is to provide such an electrical attachment which will use the standard size battery from a trainmans hand lantern.

A further object of my invention is to provide such an electrical attachment that will be sturdy in its construction, easy to manufacture, and simple to use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent and best understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings; in which Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation of my invention in position in a standard railway marker light;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the. arrows;

Fig. 3 is an end view with the battery door removed; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section.

In the drawings the reference numeral It] indicates generally a standard railway marker lamp of the type described in Patent No. 1,080,- 362. The lamp comprises a shell ll having a cylindrical body portion l2 with vertical side walls. The cylindrical body portion I2 is pro vided with four lens openings l3 to direct the light in four directions. An adjustable support arm H3 is secured to the lower portion of the lamp it and may be adjusted to rotate the lamp l6 about its vertical axis to any desired position. The lamp H3 is provided with an access door I to permit the insertion and removal of a source of light, as better shown in Patent No. 1,080,362.

My attachment comprises a casing is having a support plate I! mounted on the upper wall thereof by means of legs iii. A lamp bul-b I9 is fastened in a socket which is mounted to a support bracket 2! secured to the base plate ll. The casing I6 is of generally rectangular shape and of a size to contain a standard trainmans hand lamp battery 22. A standard battery 22 is provided with spring contact elements 23 and 24. An insulated end plate 25 closes one end of the casing is and provides a support for the contact plates 26 and 21 which are positioned to engage contact springs 23 and 24 in any position that the battery may take. A door member 28 is slidably positioned in guide members 29 to close the remaining end opening of the casing [6. The

door member 28 is provided with a handle 28' which serves the dual function of spacing the casing I6 from the cylindrical wall [2 of the lamp Ill and facilitates the removing of the door member 28 when it is desired to change the battery 22. An electric wire 30 connects contact plate 21 with one pole with single throw electric switch 3| and a second electric wire 32 connects the contact element 26 with one contact of the socket 20. The electric switch 3| is connected by its remaining pole to the remaining contact of socket 20 providing an electric circuit from the battery 22 to the bulb is which may be interrupted at will by means of switch 3|. The switch 3|, for convenience of operation, is mounted on the support plate I! adjacent the bulb I9. The casing I6 is further provided with a spacer plate 33 which is mounted about the medial horizontal plane of the casing is and extends outwardly to engage stationary parts of the lamp ID. The spacer plate 33 positions the bulb l9 in the center of the lamp It! so that the lenses l3 will each be centered on the bulb 19.

In the prior art, oil lamps of the character with which this attachment is adapted to be used, the trainman must constantly watch the lamps so that in case the flame is extinguished by wind or other causes, that he may quickly relight it to prevent accidents. In addition, he must regularly clean the mechanism of the oil lamp and as regularly must replenish the oil supply thereof. The present attachment will permit the same standard casing now in general use to be retained with a more positive source of illumination and one that will remain trouble-free for much greater periods of time than the conventional oil lamp. It should be noted that while applicant has disclosed the use of a battery 22 having coil spring contact elements that the flat spring contact element battery may also be used.

While I have shown only a preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical attachment for a railway car oil. marker lamp of the type having a cylindrical body portion, an internal, rectangular, oil cup receiving pocket, a sliding access door, and bulls-eye lenses directed in four directions for transmitting the light from the interior of the lantern, comprising a substantially rectangular battery casing having a dry cell battery therein, a pair of opposed vertically disposed guide members at an open end of said battery casing, a

door panel adapted to slide in said guide members to close said battery casing and retain said battery therein, a substantially U-shaped spacer plate horizontally arranged on said battery casing so as to enclose three sides of the battery casing, a second spacer plate horizontally arranged on said door panel in substantially the same plane as said first spacer plate and being adapted to serve as a handle for the removal and the insertion of the door panel, said first and second spacer plates contacting the inner edges of the rectangular pocket in the marker lamp to position the battery casing centrally thereof, an electric bulb mounted on the upper side of said battery case, an electric switch, and electric wiring connecting said bulb to said battery through said switch whereby said battery will energize said bulb.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which a support plate is mounted on the upper side of said battery casing, an electrical socket is secured to the top of said support plate and the bulb is 5 mounted in said electrical socket.

CLIFFORD R. LOVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 19 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

